The Norfolk and Norwich Liver Group raised £77,500 for the Fibroscan diagnostic equipment, of which £20,000 came from the Geoffrey Watling Charity. Last night the group received a presentation at the N&N on the Fibroscan, which has helped more than 1,000 patients since February 2012.

Bill Dingle, chairman of the Norfolk and Norwich Liver Group, said: “It was a huge contribution towards the appeal. The total cost was £77,500 so £20,000 was a huge amount and a big help.”

The scanner has eliminated the need for some liver patients to have invasive and expensive liver biopsies. Instead, clinicians are able to use the non-invasive scanner in just 10 to 15 minutes to use ultrasound technology to find out how badly scarred and damaged a liver is.

Mr Dingle said: “It means an awful lot to people if you go along and have something like that as opposed to a liver biopsy. It’s a huge improvement and people have really appreciated it.”

Martin Phillips, liver specialist at the N&N, added that there were only a handful of the scanners in the country when the liver group handed the equipment over.

“I have been here 11 years and the Fibroscan was a major step forward and it has been one of the most important breakthroughs for the whole of the population of Norfolk.”